Thesis Proposal

THESIS TITLE:

A Return to Contextual Ornamentation: connecting traditional and contemporary values in the process of place-making.

I would like to investigate the role that ornament played within architecture prior to the Industrial Revolution. Did ornament act to translate the formal intentions of the designer and did it also provide contextual meaning that provided the connection between traditional and contemporary values. How can the use of ornament within modern design theory provide the same connection in today’s global society?

THESIS DESCRIPTION:

Peter Rowe writes that there are “two realms of inquiry. One is concerned with the making of architecture in the light of an external vision of man and his world. The other is concerned with architecture in itself.” (Design Thinking, p.199) Prior to the industrial revolution, architecture was rooted within the tenets of the first realm of inquiry. Hannah Arendt contends that the discovery of the Archimedean Point provided a revolutionary perspective for scientific inquiry which freed mankind from assumed truths and required such truths to be challenged. This allowed for the development of the second realm of inquiry. Man became the god-like “Homo Faber”, man the maker. Our desire to mimic creation through craftsmanship was replaced with the desire to discover new creative processes which ultimately lead to the creation of new materials.

Technological advancements in materials, methods, and communication continue to shape contemporary architecture, as they have throughout history. These advancements have contributed to a greater globalization of architecture and in many cases to the detriment of local culture and meaning. The call for sustainable design and livable communities is deafening and suggests that designers should be actively pursuing this connection. Unfortunately, architects continue to use a language of design that is often in need of translation in order to define contextual meaning for its users, resulting in a sense of “placelessness” and disenchantment from the profession. Sustainable and livable communities must encompass more than global ecological harmony; they must also include sensitivities to local climate, regional building practices and a reverence for relevant historical context.

The relevance of the craftsman has diminished and the use of ornament has been vilified within architectural theory and lost from mainstream architecture ever since the shift to Modernism. I will investigate what might have been lost due to the abandonment of ornament. Was ornament the connection between tradition and contemporary culture that provided building users the language needed to translate the designer’s intent and the meaning behind the built forms? Did ornament contribute to design as place-making? I intend to investigate the shape ornament can take in contemporary architecture utilizing modern methods and materials to re-establish the connection between modern design theory and contextual meaning.

I propose to test my findings through the design of a senior living center for the “Baby Boomer” generation, (location yet to be determined). This typology has the potential to benefit greatly from a modern design approach that seeks to ground itself within both traditional and contemporary values. As this generation retires from the workforce, they will require an environment that provides for an unprecedented senior lifestyle. This generation will have the means and the desire to maintain an active and enriching lifestyle well into their retirement.